Keffiyehs, Yarmulkes and “Belonging” at UVA
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52 responses to “Keffiyehs, Yarmulkes and “Belonging” at UVA”
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Badges of loyalty. Interesting phrase.
Cross dangling on a necklace; a hijab; a kufi; a yarmulke? A Robert E. Lee license plate?
I see one on a pick-up regularly parked in what is otherwise an uninterrupted line of cars flouting lefty views on bumper stickers. Is it Southern identity; or expressing respect for a much maligned honorable gentleman; or just an upraised middle finger to the Woke?
Conceding the right of free speech maybe the issue is should we exercise that right indiscriminately, not caring who one offends?
Though trying to emulate Mr. Bacon’s commendable balance in this article — maybe offending people is the only way to get things done. You don’t wear your cross, hijab, or yarmulke, rainbow flag; Pittsburg Steelers logo, because you don’t want to take sides; don’t want to wear a badge of identity; don’t want to get involved. Is that a kind of cowardice?
A condundrum.
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Your choice of words reveals your bias. You say that Hillel “caters” to the liberal/progressive students while Chabad “appeals” to conservative students. “Caters” has a derogatory connotation while “appeal” is a positive word.
You fail to mention that Hillel is the largest Jewish sudent organization on the UVa campus.
Despite your protestation, after reading your articles, one is likely to come away with the impression that UVa is seething with antisemitism and Jewish students are cowering in fear. This group, the largest Jewish student organization, has a different perspective. As they say in their letter to the Board, ” We acknowledge that antisemitism is a top concern at UVA, especially among parents, although it is not as widespread as some outside of the University community believe.”
As for the quote from the organization that you cited regarding hate speech that had crossed the line, the organization concluded, “Nevertheless, we feel supported by the University’s administration in issues surrounding Jewish students around Grounds.”
You express consternation that Jewish students no longer wear yarmulkes and Stars of David. How many of them wore them before all this started? On college campuses I have been on in recent years, and in the general population, I cannot recall seeing people wearing yarmulkes except during ceremonial occasions.
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” “It saddens us to see concerted efforts to exploit Jewish students as pawns for political agendas. Such efforts threaten the safety and well-being of Jewish students.” “
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You are also a wise person, Larry.
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Not so long ago there was a place where wearing Stars of David was required. It was not a positive thing there.
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“Jewish students no longer wear yarmulkes!!!” The Baconator has spoken and none shall challenge that credibility.
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That would be an unlikely circumstance. {g}
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“‘Caters’ has a derogatory connotation while ‘appeal’ is a positive word.”
Ummm….what?
I’ve noticed that Jim’s left eye is 4 millimeters higher than his right eye…what does that connote?
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I’m a UVA student. If there have been real instances of antisemitism on grounds, the perpetrators should be held accountable. In fact, I hope that the university will do everything in its power to hold accountable anyone who has directed antisemitic slurs at or physically assaulted Jewish students on grounds. However, BDS and chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” are not antisemitic, as the ADL claims.
I, personally, haven’t seen evidence of or heard of any antisemitic incidents on grounds. The Jefferson Council claims it has evidence of students targeted simply for being Jewish. If this is the case, they should share it. If I’m not mistaken, one of the students who made and publicized similar claims is currently being investigated by the honor committee for lying.
The main issue at hand, as you state, Dick, is the attempt to conflate BDS and criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Israel, a state established through the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, continues to maintain the longest ongoing military occupation in the world. It has rightfully become a pariah state, like apartheid South Africa in the 90s. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Israel engages in a brutal system of apartheid. And, today, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that it is engaged in acts of genocide. So, the attempts to conflate activism against Israel with antisemitism are attempts to silence speech, and they should not be taken seriously.
On a different note, I hope that Jewish students feel comfortable proudly wearing yarmulkes, stars of David, or whatever else they’d like to wear. Jews are not responsible for the actions of Israel, and Israel doesn’t represent all Jews. Thank you.
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You are a wise person.
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Wow! So that’s how it’s spelled. I thought it was “Covfefe”.
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Do you have a bound and gagged Biden in your pickup bed?
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What do you mean a bound and gagged Biden? I’ve got the whole set…
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It’s the 2024 version of his basement campaign, implemented mostly by his campaign staff. It is less damaging than turning him loose to speak.
Did you see that yesterday he made up a story about his uncle being eaten by cannibals. No joke.
On the other hand, the House Freedom Caucus has just established the Floor Action Response Team to sniff out feints contrary to their interests.
Really, you can’t make this stuff up.
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Biden ought to try that. He’d make more sense speaking while gagged than he does without a gag.
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You should be so lucky as to only have an impediment.
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I would not let Biden get anywhere near my pickup, gagged, bound, or otherwise…nor, his big honkin’ White House bunny rabbit friend…nor, the babbling geranium who speaks for him… My 35-year-old pick-up has been horse kicked, but it will never be sniffed by a demoperv.
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For those interested in energy policy in Virginia, Axios is doing a public event in Richmond in May.
https://axiosenergyfortodaytomorrow.splashthat.com/?lid=w6b0cr8jfwnm
“Join Axios for an event in Richmond convening leaders in the energy and renewables industries for conversations considering how collaboration among consumers, government and industry can spearhead the future of energy consumption in Virginia and beyond.”
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Hmm. A date, but no time and place. Hard to know if I could go….I guess you register, see if they “approve” you, and then they report on the time and place…Not expecting balance from Axios. The media is providing the marching music as the lemmings head for the cliff.
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I never understand people who see a conspiracy in everything. It is 19 days away and they have not confirmed all of the details yet. And why wouldn’t one want to hear the other side in a forum where one can ask a question or talk to someone privately after the official event. That is a good way to learn somethigng.
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Meanwhile, Jewish students have stopped wearing yarmulkes, Stars of David or other ornamentation that would identify them as Jews.
I think they should set aside whatever fears they may have and wear what they want to wear.
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I tried that. Got me thrown out of the grocery store, and THEY are the ones who sold me the zucchini.
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And people say this is a free country…
😉
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Yes, they should not be afraid to do so. All Jews are not responsible for the actions of Israel, just like all Muslims are not responsible for the actions of Saudi Arabia or ISIS.
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“But the campus climate is not determined by the passive majority — it’s driven by a vocal minority…”
This is simply untrue.
“…of militants…”
Militants…?… smh…
“…who feel empowered to speak openly…”
I thought the old TJC position was that everyone should feel empowered to speak openly…
“… organize rallies and events…”
How dare they?!
“…flaunt their badges of pro-Palestinian identity…”
So, Conservative Jews should be empowered to “flaunt their badges of identity” but not those who are pro-Palestinian… got it.
“…dish out ethnic slurs, and ostracize the few students who openly proclaim their Judaism.”
Both protected speech but neither of which you provide any evidence of actually happening.
Par for the course these days round here…
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“we have heard chants exclaiming that “Jews are committing genocide.” … This kind of speech is hateful and crosses a line.”
That kind of speech is not hateful. Israeli murder of more than 30,000 Palestinians in the last 6 months and driving around 2 million from their homes while starving them is hateful. It also happens to be both true and speech protected by the 1st Amendment. If that is crossing a line then perhaps we need more of it.
What do these poor delicate snowflakes want as redress, repression of speech by UVa in violation of the Constitution? They could choose to join the group “Jews against Genocide” and get on the right side of the issue. Divesting Israeli investments would be both a far more rational and constitutional act by the university.
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Characterizing war as murder is Hamas propaganda. When Hamas does nothing to feed its citizens, and its leaders shelter in 5-star hotels in another country, it is not Israel’s responsibility. Hostages are still being held and 300 drones and missiles in one day are a message Israel cannot ignore. Your speech is hateful and crosses the line.
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War, what’s it good for? Absolutely nothing.
Those of us who care about Israel’s survival advocate for pulling it back from the murderous self destructive course it is on. Israel is creating enemies faster than it can kill them. Hatefulness is encouraging Israel to dig itself ever deeper into the abyss.
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You. Could substitute Gaza and Hamas for Israel in your reply and be speaking the truth.
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If this were a war of genocide it would be over by now. Indiscriminate killing of civilians in vast numbers is fast.
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30,000+ in six months is not slow.
As a comparison that is half as many as we lost in Viet Nam in 20 years and 20x more than the Russians have killed in Ukraine in more than 2 years.
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Your arithmetic is faulty. The Russians have killed 31000 Ukrainian solders and about 10500 civilians. 50000 Russian troops have died X
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The number is also provided by Hamas, whom doesn’t differentiate between the people whom they use as shields (war crime) and their fighters.
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Your numbers are an order of magnitude off. The Russians have killed around 1,500 Ukrainian civilians, and the the Ukrainian military losses are 300k-500k.
But, using your numbers, Russia has killed fewer Ukrainian soldiers than Israel has killed Palestinian civilians. That qualifies as genocide, as the court has ruled is plausible.
I want Israel to survive, and to thrive. To do that Israel needs to first stop digging its own grave.
Why do you keep deleting references to Netanyahoo’s call for genocide, killing all the men, women, children and infants?
You generally have done a good job policing us here in the peanut gallery, but that is disappointing. It is a disservice to BR.
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Stop playing with the spelling of Netanyahu to make it end in yahoo to avoid deletion.
The numbers are not”mine.”
” The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 30,457 civilian casualties during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as of February 15, 2024. Of them, 19,875 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher.” 30457-19875=
10,582 civilians killed. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293492/ukraine-war-casualties/“31,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in this war. Not 300,000, not 150,000, not whatever Putin and his deceitful circle have been lying about. But nevertheless, each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us”, Zelenskyy said at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum in Kyiv.” https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-troops-killed-zelenskyy-675f53437aaf56a4d990736e85af57c4
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Under the heading of good news, Israel’s “feeble” response (as convicted terrorist and War Cabinet member Ben Givr characterized it) to Iran’s reprisal is a sign that the crazies don’t have complete control of the asylum. It lets both Iran and Israel step back from war.
The propaganda about the failure of Iran’s reprisal not withstanding, it demonstrated that despite Israel’s spending more than $1B on AD on the 14th (Israeli military estimate $1B-$1.3B) that Iranian ballistic missiles got through to their targets. Those targets were the air bases Israel launched its bombing of the Iranian Consulate in Syria from and the intelligence center in the Golan Heights that coordinated the attack.
If you believe the propaganda that the damage was “slight”, ask yourself why there have been no on site reports and post attack photographs of the airfields and intelligence center. The Iranians live streamed the Israeli attack on them.
Between naval and air resources the US may have spent another $1B. That is opposed to $10M-$20M spent by the Iranians on the reprisal. That was probably among the best ADs in the world. It is also an unsustainable ratio of expenditures and indicative of the inherent problem of all AD, it is expensive and it can be inexpensively overwhelmed.
Would the Iranians have been pleased if more of their drones and missiles had gotten through? Sure, but they made their point. Israel cannot stop ballistic missiles, even with the help of the US, Britain, France and Jordan. The Israelis, or someone in the US, appears to have gotten the message. That is a step in the right direction. We can all hope there will be more, especially in Rafah and Lebanon.
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Population density per square mile: Gaza= 14,000 Ukraine= 164.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a
https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/UKR/ukraine/population-density -
It was not a call for genocide. Your comment source is for one Biblical phrase with no context unless you download an app I never heard of.
The circumstances of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are entirely different,with Hamas embedded in and under civilian areas with a population density of 14,000 per sq. mile, and Ukraine with164 and not hiding behind civilians..Hamas includes their fighters in the total killed too.
BTW, if you attack me again, rather than facts, as you did in your recently deleted post, you’ll be on a temporary posting ban.
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I’ve attended the two demonstrations in support of Palestine. I never heard that chant. It would be wrong to chant “Jews are committing genocide,” as Israel doesn’t represent all Jews.
I did, however, hear the chant, “Israel, you’re committing genocide.”
Lefty, you have bandied this 30,000 “murdered” Palestinians claim for some time now. Is it your claim that every person killed in Gaza since Oct 7, has been “murdered”. Several hundred Israeli troops have, no doubt, died. Were they “murdered”?
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It is pretty simple. All the dead Palestinian civilians were murdered, all 30,000+ of them. The escaped Israeli troops shot by the IDF were also murdered, as were several hundred Israeli civilians murdered by the IDF’s out of control acts on 10/7.
There are also some dead Hamas fighters. They were not murdered. Nor were they martyred as far as I am concerned.
It is open for debate whether the poorly trained, poorly led and undisciplined IDF troops who have been killed were murdered by Israeli failures to train, lead and discipline. It’s been more than 6 months and the IDF has not been able to beat a gaggle of troglodytes armed with AKs and RPGs. Shades of us in Afghanistan.
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alrighty then!
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And goodness sakes, just think how sad those peace-loving friends of Hamas in Iran must be after Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, France, and United States smashed all of their toys and missiles…
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Thankfully, Iran was not trying to hurt any Israelis with their aerial demonstration.
In reply to Dick (a much wiser person than most of those who engage with this blog) –
I’m a UVA student. If there have been real instances of antisemitism on grounds, the perpetrators should be held accountable. In fact, I hope that the university will do everything in its power to hold accountable anyone who has directed antisemitic slurs at or physically assaulted Jewish students on grounds. However, BDS and chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” are not antisemitic. This conflation, as Hillel pointed out, is harmful.
I, personally, haven’t seen evidence of or heard of any antisemitic incidents on grounds. The Jefferson Council claims it has evidence of students targeted simply for being Jewish. If this is the case, they should share it. If I’m not mistaken, one of the students who made and publicized similar claims is currently being investigated by the honor committee for lying.
The main issue at hand, as you state, Dick, is the attempt to conflate BDS and criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Israel, a state established through the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, continues to maintain the longest ongoing military occupation in the world. It has rightfully become a pariah state, like apartheid South Africa in the 90s. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Israel engages in a brutal system of apartheid. And, today, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that it is engaged in acts of genocide. So, the attempts to conflate activism against Israel with antisemitism are attempts to silence speech, and they should not be taken seriously.
On a different note, I hope that Jewish students feel comfortable proudly wearing yarmulkes, stars of David, or whatever else they’d like to wear. Jews are not responsible for the actions of Israel, and Israel doesn’t represent all Jews. Thank you.
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dead on correct on the “conflation”. time to call it out.
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Mercy oh thou son of David. Thus poor blind Bartimeus cried.
Israel continues to occupy the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem, the longest ongoing military occupation in the world. Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory is illegal under international law. Palestinians, along with the entire Arab World through the Arab Peace Initiative, have accepted the international consensus of peace based on two sovereign states on 1967 borders.
Yesterday, the US vetoed Palestine’s bid for full UN member status. It is the US and far right Netanyahu government are the obstacles to peace. In 2019, Netanyahu said, “Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas,” adding that, “This is part of our strategy.”
Recently, Netanyahu stated, “Citizens of Israel, Everyone knows that it was me who – for decades – has blocked the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger our existence. My position has been, and remains, clear. It has only been reinforced since the terrible massacre of October 7. In any case, with or without a permanent settlement, Israel will maintain full security control over all areas west of the Jordan River. Of course, this includes Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.”
It seems to me that Israel and the United States’s positions can be summarized as, “from the river to the sea, only apartheid there shall be.”
Peace can only be based on equal national rights and dignity for both peoples. Israel, at the moment, is likely engaged in genocide. Israel barely attempts to hide this reality.
At the start of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, Israeli Minister Avi Dichter stated, “we’re rolling out Nakba 2023.” The Nakba refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, a systemic, organized crime that took place in order to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. In December, Minister Smotrich, the second most powerful minister in the Israeli government, made Israel’s intentions clear when he said, “What needs to be done in the Gaza Strip is to encourage emigration.” He added that Israel’s aim for the “day after” would be to have “be 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs and not 2 million” remaining in the Gaza Strip. His statements were never contradicted by Netanyahu or Israeli government spokespersons.
The United States is knowingly facilitating, aiding, and engaged in genocide against a stateless civilian population in the world’s largest open air prison. Shame on us, and shame on anyone who justifies this atrocity.
It’s clear that Israel’s goal is to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable and either kill, starve, or drive out the Palestinians. Israel has already killed more children than had been killed in all the world’s conflict zones combined in the past four years. And, today, 80% of those facing phase 5 catastrophic levels of famine are in the Gaza Strip.
Each day, child are starving to death daily in Northern Gaza, where Israel claims that it has full operational control. Once again, anyone with a shred of humanity and decency cannot continue to justify this atrocity.
I am so proud that students at UVA are active in opposing the US’s military and diplomatic support to the genocidal apartheid state of Israel!
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The irony is thick and inescapable.
As a noncombatant, I find myself naturally drawn to the side of the noncombatant. This is a war on noncombatants. It’s terrorism — a two-sided state-sponsored act of terrorism.
Somebody’s playing the race card… and it ain’t gonna wash.
Somebody’s playing the race card… and it ain’t gonna wash.
Next week is the “Week of Palestinian Transgender Visibility “.
This will be an interesting week.
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